​Helping Kids Make Healthy Food Choices

No matter what their age, it’s never too late to help your kids develop healthy mealtime habits. Offering a variety of foods helps kids develop more flexible preferences. If you have a picky eater, start by incorporating new items alongside things your children are already eating. If you are concerned that your child may have an unhealthy habit, avoid talking about food as if it is “good” or “bad.” Instead, you can validate their likes and ensure them those things will be incorporated into their overall intake. Parents can help kids talk through how it feels to eat too much and help them discover how to eat to satisfaction without discomfort, as another example. There are great resources available today such as Jennifer Anderson’s “Kids Eat In Color” resources.